LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
©71 
terially from their exposure to the rigour of the climate, but 
that in regard to their provisions, they were found to have been 
chiefly consumed by the foxes. In fact, to all appearance, the 
animals had selected the boats as their winter quarters, making 
free with every article wherewith they could satisfy their hunger. 
The pork and beef were nearly all consumed, and by way of a 
succedaneum, they had eaten the tops of the steward’^ sea 
boots, as well as the leather off the thowl pins, and almost the 
whole of the tarpaulins, in fact, nothing appeared to have come 
amiss to their rapacious appetites. 
On one occasion, one of these audacious animals actually 
came into the tent, when the men were supposed to be asleep, 
and made a snap at the flame of the candle, by which he singed 
his whiskers, which induced him to take his departure to 
recover himself from the mistake, which he had made. In a 
short time he again made his appearance, and one of the men 
attentively watched his motions. For a short time he took a 
survey of the different objects around him, when on a sudden, 
he pounced upon a southwester cap, belonging to the engineer; 
and although the person, who was watching him, threw a 
wooden candlestick at him, with the hope of arresting his pro¬ 
gress, he got clear off with it. 
The whole of the things were, after great labor and fatigue, 
got down to Batty Bay, and placed alongside of the boats; they 
were then covered over with the boats’ sails, and the beach ot 
Batty Bay had now the appearance of a second Fury Beach. 
Having now secured the provisions, as well as possible, from the 
depredations of the foxes, the crew returned to Fury Beach, 
where they found Wood, Buck, and Ayre extremely ill, and 
wholly unable to bear the fatigue of travelling, without being 
carried. On this account, and influenced by the hope, that a 
change might take place in the health of the men, Capt. Ross 
proposed that their departure from Fury Beach should be deferred 
for a few days, and, in the interim, that a party should be sent 
to Garry Bay, where the ducks were known to resort in great 
numbers, and endeavor to obtain a supply of fresh food for the 
